Saturday, February 18, 2017

Anna's Hummingbirds in Winter

Our poor hummingbirds have been putting up with way more snow than usual this winter. Anna's hummingbirds over-winter here on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia where we normally have one or two minor snowfalls each year. But this year has been extreme, with lots of storms and many more inches of snow than usual.

It's amazing to me how a tiny bird like a hummingbird can withstand that kind of weather. One morning I discovered that the two feeders we have out for the hummers were both frozen. I quickly got them thawed out. Then I found a brightly-colored pair of knitted socks that I never wore and cut out a small hole and fitted a sock over each feeder, with the hanging rope going through the hole. That kept the birds' nectar warm enough during the day.

We were thinking of going away in January but couldn't find someone to house sit so we stayed put...I was concerned about the birds that had become dependent on us to take care of them. Does that sound crazy to you? So in the end the hummingbirds saved us some money!